Hello, nonexistent readers! I know you must have missed the posts for the last week, since I didn't post. You don't give a crap anyway, so you don't exist, so let me get to the point. Anecdote, angry rant, declaration. That's how it'll go here.
So in my AP English class I was in a group of three people trying to write an outline for an essay agreeing with the quote "For nonconformism the world whips you with its displeasure." We decided to use Anthem, by Ayn Rand, as an example. So the teacher (whom, let me just say, I respect and think of as a brilliant teacher) came over, and when we told her about it, said, "Well, you can't use young adult literature. But good job." or something like that; look, I have midterms to study for, I'm not going to remember every detail. Anyway, we changed the example to the Impressionists and she continued to go around the classroom and see what everyone was doing. Finally, she came to the front of the class and said, "Well, I was going to let you share your outlines, but it's obvious none of you know what you're doing." Fine, I thought. This is typical of her, she's always saying how awful we are. Mind you, not a complaint; as a writer I appreciate critique. She continued to say how we needed to pay attention, etc., and then it came down to the advice for how to improve our essay skills. She only complained about two things. One: "Don't use Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks as an example. It's cliched." OK; I agree. Two: "Don't use young adult literature as an example. That doesn't help. I know that these are the only books you read, that young adult books are the few books you've retained for the three or four books you've read in the last few years. You're not readers. You have to read." These words have been burning in my mind since second period, so I'm fairly sure the quote was represented as accurately as possible.
Can I just say that I am losing respect for my favorite teacher rapidly? Why do you just assume, Ms. -, that nobody in your class reads? And that the only thing we read is trashy YA books? Do you not even see me lugging around thick, serious books every day? Did you not hear Pretentious Kid in the second row rattling on about the classic literature he reads? I READ SHAKESPEARE PLAYS. IN. MY. FREE. TIME!!! I like Agatha Christie, Virginia Woolf, and Jane Austen! Go ahead, assume my favorite book is Twilight! Because that's your idea of the level of intelligence of your students! Well, I'm sorry, Ms. -, but if you don't respect your students, maybe they won't respect you.
So in third period (I take art; oh, you probably think that's a 'lowly' subject now, I assume), I was fuming, thinking about this student who, 13 years ago or something, actually cursed out this particular teacher and marched out of her class. I actually considered that for a second, I was so furious. I was just so sick of her assuming that none of us could possibly achieve her high and mighty level of English language royalty.
But no. I won't be so crude as that. So here's my way of cursing you out, Ms. -. I'm going to take your condescending suggestion, and I'm going to read more classics than I do now. Admittedly, I do not read classics every second of the day. But now, I vow that I won't read anything written earlier than 1948 (I'm planning to read something by George Orwell, otherwise it'd be 1900). No crappy YA books for me. Yes, I am shunning the 'young adult literature' that is apparently the only thing my tiny brain is capable of processing. I know the age of a book does not determine its quality, but surely that's what the precious AP committee thanks. So I'm going to add to my list of classics. And then, here, I will provide a review of the book (full of intellectual commentary, not my stupid emotional opinion). I'll challenge myself to... hmm, 30 classics by the end of the year. Not really enough of a challenge... 45! There. 45 books by the end of June.
I'll determine a list later, because the bell's about to ring.
Great. I'll post an actual poem some other time.
-magic*esi
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